Residential Care: Some High-Risk Youth Benefit, But More Study Needed
HEHS-94-56
Published: Jan 28, 1994. Publicly Released: Jan 28, 1994.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed residential care programs that provide comprehensive long-term help for at-risk youths, focusing on: (1) whether residential care programs effectively prepare youths to lead self-sufficient, productive lives; and (2) the key program characteristics necessary for mitigating high-risk behaviors in young people.
Recommendations
Matter for Congressional Consideration
| Matter | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| If Congress decides that the federal government should reexamine its financial support for programs serving at-risk youth, it should consider earmarking funds for rigorous evaluations of residential care and other treatment approaches for this population to determine what kinds of programs work best for which youths. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
Action is not intended. |
| If Congress decides that the federal government should reexamine its financial support for programs serving at-risk youth, it should consider earmarking funds for rigorous evaluations of residential care and other treatment approaches for this population to determine the appropriate place of residential treatment on the service continuum. |
Closed – Not Implemented
|
Congress has not initiated action on this recommendation, and the Committee contact told GAO that it is unlikely that Congress will act on this in the foreseeable future. |
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Topics
Disadvantaged personsJuvenile correctional facilitiesJuvenile delinquencyJuvenile offender rehabilitationLocally administered programsProgram evaluationRehabilitation programsState-administered programsYouthStudents